Tuesday, July 5, 2022

The Hidden One by Linda Castillo

 The Hidden One
Book Summary

The discovery of an Amish bishop's remains leads chief of police Kate Burkholder to unearth a chilling secret in The Hidden One, a new thriller from bestselling author Linda Castillo.

Over a decade ago, beloved Amish bishop Ananias Stoltzfus disappeared without a trace. When skeletal remains showing evidence of foul play are unearthed, his disappearance becomes even more sinister.

The town’s elders arrive in Painters Mill to ask chief of police Kate Burkholder for help, but she quickly realizes she has a personal connection to the crime. The handsome Amish man who stands accused of the murder, Jonas Bowman, was Kate’s first love. Forced to confront a painful episode from her past, Kate travels to Pennsylvania’s Kishacoquillas Valley, where the Amish culture differs dramatically from the traditions she knows. Though Bishop Stoltzfus was highly respected, she soon hears about a dark side to this complex man. What was he hiding that resulted in his own brutal death?
Someone doesn’t want Kate asking questions. But even after being accosted and threatened in the dead of night, she refuses to back down. Is she too close to the case—and to Jonas—to see clearly? There’s a killer in the Valley who will stop at nothing to keep the past buried. Will they get to Kate before she can expose the truth? Or will the bishop’s secrets remain hidden forever?
My Thoughts

The Hidden One by Linda Castillo is the fourteenth novel in the Kate Burkholder series.  It can be read as a standalone as the author provides Kate’s background information for new readers.  You will be missing out though if you do not read this series from the beginning.  Kate travels from Painter’s Mill, Ohio to Belleville, Pennsylvania where elders from an Amish community paid her a visit.  Kate’s first love, Jonas Bowman has been arrested for murder.  Ananias Stoltzfus, the bishop of the community, disappeared eighteen years ago.  His remains were found two months ago in a farmer’s field along with a gun.  The gun belongs to Jonas.  Jonas and Ananias had been at odds at the time of the bishop’s disappearance.  Kate travels to Pennsylvania to see if she can prove Jonas’ innocence. 

I thought The Hidden One was well-written with realistic, developed characters.  I like that we get to learn more about Kate’s past.  I did miss Painter’s Mill and Kate’s significant other, John Tomasetti.  I like how the author portrays the Amish people.  We see them as they are (not sugarcoated).  There are explanations for the way they live and how they do things.  The mystery was intriguing (I love solving the mystery before the reveal) and well-plotted.  It is a cold case which makes it more of a challenge.  I liked all the action in the story.  Someone did not want Kate to find out the truth.  You can tell that they do not know Kate (she is tenacious).  There are clues to help readers solve the crime (if you pay close attention).  People were judging Jonas for his past actions and not the man he is now.  There was one piece of the puzzle that gave me the answer to this clever mystery.  I enjoyed the suspenseful reveal.  The books ending was sweet.  I enjoyed reading The Hidden One. This is one of my favorite books in the series.  I am looking forward to Kate’s next adventure.  The Hidden One is a revealing suspense novel with a confusing cold case, an old love in jail, a beau’s birthday, meaningful memories, perilous incidents, and one curious Kate.

The Hidden One is available from Amazon*.  You can find the other thirteen Kate Burkholder novels here. You can follow Linda Castillo on Amazon in order to receive updates on her latest book releases.  Some other books that were released today are A Cold Nose for Murder by Jennifer Hawkins, The Warmth of Sunshine by Kelly Irvin, Listen to Me by Tess Gerritsen, and Death by Bubble Tea by Jennifer J. Chow.  I appreciate you stopping by today and reading my review.  I hope that everyone had a fun and safe Fourth of July weekend.  I learned how to use an automotive battery charger.  I needed to pick up a prescription.  I got in the car and nothing happened.  I was able to hook this device up to the car battery and get it charged enough to get to Autozone.  They were very nice and helpful.  They installed the battery for me.  I was on my way within twenty minutes.  I am glad that my brother-in-law told me to get that device for my car. It also helps maintain it (since I do not go out often). I will return tomorrow to share my thoughts on The Warmth of Sunshine by Kelly Irvin.  It is the second book in the Amish Blessings series.  I hope that you have a happy day. Take care, stay cool, and Happy Reading!

Kris

The Avid Reader 

*This post contains affiliate links.  As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

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